Draft rigging



/m/enor Char/e5 E Daf/7 5y M by July 11, 1933. c. E. DATH DRAFT RIGefINcTV Filed Jain. 27, 1.932

, nnu---u Patented July' 11, 1933 LUNrrED 'STATES PATENT OFC/Q. di'

CHARLES E. DATE, E CHICAGO, nnrivorsnssreivon r.ro wgH. MINEE, INC.,` 0E

CHICAGO, Immers, a coEroEArroE 0E DELAWARE .DRAFT EIGGING Application feed rJaauaw '27, lesa serial No. 5 aa,14o

to the opposite ends of which the buiiing" forces are transmitted, thereby flexing the plate members to cushion bufling shocks.

Another obj ect of the invention is to proi vide in a draft rigging of the character indicated in the preceding paragraph simple l means for connecting the coupler element to the car by the use of a transverse beam member at each end of the car, which beam memb er also serves as a cushioning means for both draft and bufling shocks, the beam member being fabricated of flexible resilient material in the form yof a gang of plates to produce this result.

Other objects of the invention willmore clearly appear from thev description and claims hereinafter following. i v

In Athe drawing, forming a part of this speciicatiom-Figure 1 is a part plan and part horizontal, sectional view of one end of a mine car, illustrating my improvements in connection therewith. Figure 2 is a longitudinal, vertical, sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 2 2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is an elevational view, partly broken away, looking from the left in Figure 1. And' Figure 4 isa longitudinal, vertical, sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 1 of Figure'l.

In said drawing, A designates 'generally the end port-ionA of a mine'car,'it being vunderstood that the mine car is of the usual design having opposite ends `:thereof formed similarly. The end of the car is provided with the usual transverse sill member 10, which ext-ends from side to side of the car. My improved shock absorbing mechanism is mounted on the end sills at opposite ends of the car and is so arranged as to serve as cushioning means for bufiingy shocks imparted to bufiing heads at' opposite sidesr of the and draft shocks 3 imparted to the cushioning means through' aj centrally disposed coupling element;l The end sill 10 has a pair of spaced supporting castings or housings `11f11 4'fixed thereto'. The two housings 11j.are of ,similar design, each i having a' transverse, vertical front end wall 12, side walls r13 rand 111,V and top and bottom walls 15 and 16. At the-inner side of each casting, the walls 13 and 141 arel provided Y with: laterally extending securing lugs or .flanges 17417,' which" are fixed to they sill 10 by 'any suitable securing elements,

such as rivet-s extending through these flanges `and theJ vertical web of, the' sill 10. The wall 1/1, which isonthe .inner side of the casting 11, is providedwith 'an `opening`18-`for a purpose hereinafter pointed' out. The outer wall 12 has the inner side thereof curved at said opening, asindicated at'19. The inner wall of the QpeningvlS is laterally thickened,

as clearly shown in Figure 1, said thickened portion presenting acurvedbearing or abutment'surface 20, which is disposed laterally inwardly of the car with respect to the abutn ment face orsurface 19-fof the wall 12 of the casting. The front wall 12 is also provided with Va central guide opening 21 adapted to -form guide means for Vthe corresponding bung head vhereinafter more fully described. Outwardly of the'V wall 12the top and bottom walls 15 and 16 of the casting extend forwardly andare connected by spaced vertical walls 22- 22,`the Vlatter,together withv the top and bottom wall sections outwardly of the wall 12, vforming a 'continuation of the. guildeway 21. Asm'ost clearly shown in Figure 1, the top'and bottom walls 15 and 16 are centrally offset, 'asindicated at '2S-T23, inwardly ofthe wall 12 to present'top and bottom guide-channels in vralignment with the guide faces formedfby; the top and bottom walls 15 and ldoutwardly ofthe wall 12.

A pair of buiiing 'heads2L-"24 are arrangedV at opposite sides of the end of the car, each head havinga rearwardly extend# ing stem 25 guided 2in theV guide opening 21 andthe" guideway formed by the walls inwardly and outward'lyof said opening.l l Atthe inner.` end, the stem 25 of each buiiing head Qlis provided with a transverse opening 26 having front and rear curved bearing walls 27-27. A plurality of spring plates are employed as the shock absorbing means, said plates being arranged transversely of the mechanism. As clearly shown in Figures 1, 2, and 4, the gang is preferably composed of four spring plates 28-28. The Vopposite ends of the gang of plates extend into the two housings respectively and are engaged through the openings 26-26 of the stems of the bufling heads 24--24 respectively. The outer ends of the plates 28-28 preferably project beyond the corresponding buliing stems. A coupler hook 29 is connected to the gang of spring plates midway between the ends of the same, said hook being provided with a laterally enlarged shank portion 3() having a transverse opening 81, through which the plates 28-#28 are engaged. The rear wall of the openingl is curved, asin-V dicated at 32, while the front .wall of the same is preferably flat. e

In the'operation of my improved draft rigging, assuming that a pulling action is ap'- plied to the coupler hook'29, thelatterwill be pulled outwardly away from the car, thereby bowing` the gang of spring plates outwardly. During' this action, the springplateshatre supported at opposite endson theiroute'rsides by' the abutment surfaces 19-19 of the front walls 12-12 of the castings JAL-1l.' `Aswill be evident, the draft shocks are thus yieldingly cushioned by the Vflexing of the gang of spring plates. Inraddition toroff'ering spring resistance toshocks, the plates lalso provide a certain amount of frictional resistance due to relative -sliding movement of the plates on each other, during flexing thereof.

Upon ya. builing force being applied to either or both of the bufling Aheads 24,. the heads will be moved inwardly toward the car. Inward movement of each head 24 Causes inward flexing ofV the correspondingv end of the gang of springplates, thus effectively cushioning the shocks. The spring plates while being flexed inwardly at opposite lends by the buiiingmembers are supported on the curved bearing surfaces E20- 2O of the inner end walls of the openings 18.-l8 of thecastings l1-1l.

VFrom the preceding description taken in connection with the drawing,y it will -be evident that I have provided an ,exceedingly simplev and. efficient iexible connection for mineV cars, which'vserves to cushion draft shocks and alsoby the samecushioning means takes care of buliing shocks transmitted to the buffing-members at opposite Sides of the car.A The improved shock absorbing mechanism maybe readily applied toanyv well-y known construction of mine cars without alter-ationy of. the car underframe structure,r it

being necessary merely to secure the two housing castings and the other parts assembled therewith to the end sill of the car.

I have herein shown and described what Inow consider the preferred manner of carrying o ut my invent-ion, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended' hereto.

I claim:

l. In a draft rigging for cars, the combination' with a transversely disposed gang of spring plates connected to the end of the car; of spaced abutment means on the car supporting the gangof plates on the inner'side thereof at points inwardly of the outer ends of said gang of plates; a coupler element connected tosaid spring plates between said abutments; and inwardly movable means for transmitting buliing forces to opposite ends of said gang of spring plates, said last named means including members atopposite sides of the same endof the car bearing on the opposite end sections of said gang of plates at point-s laterally outwardly of said spaced abutment means to flex said. plates in buff, thereby cushioning the shocks.

v2. In a draft rigging for cars, the combination with a vtransversely disposed, resilient,` flexible member connected to the end of the car; o f supports on the car at laterally spaced points opposing outward movement of the flexible member; a coupler element connected to said member between said spaced points, whereby said member is flexed outwardlyv upon a pulling action being applied to the coupler to cushion draft shocks; and inwardly sliding buliing heads engagedwith the opposite ends of said flexible member to bend said ends inwardly upon inward movement of saidheads to vcushion fbufiing shocks.V y l 3.. In aV draft rigging for cars, the combination with a transversely'disposed, resilient,

flexible member connected to the end of the car; of supports on t-he car at laterally spaced points opposingl outward movement of the flexible member; acoupler element connected to said member between vsaid spaced points, whereby said member is flexed outwardly upon a. pulling action being appliedto the y'ros coupler 'to cushion draft shocks; laterally Y spaced abutment mea-ns on saidcar engaging the inner sides ofsaid flexible member at laterally spaced points; and 'inwardly movable buiiing-heads engaging'opposite end portions of said flexible member aty points laterally offset with respect to saidspaced abutisa flexible member connected to the end of the car; of supports on the car at laterally spaced Y points opposing outward movement of the flexible member; a coupler element connected to said member between said spaced points, whereby said member Vis iexed outwardly upon a pulling action being appliedito the coupler to cushion draft shocks; laterally spaced abutment .means on said car engaging the inner sides of said flexlble member at laterally spaced points; and inwardly movable bufing heads engaging 'opposite end portions of said flexible member at points laterof the flexible member; a coupler elementA connected to said member between said spaced points, whereby said member is exed outwardly upon a pulling action being applied to the coupler to cushion draft shocks; spaced abutment means on the end of the car offset respectively laterally' outwardly of said supports and engaging the inner side of the fiexible member; and inwardly movable buffing heads at Vopposite sides of the same end of the car bearing on the ends of said flexible member at points laterally outwardly of y said spaced abutmentmeans respectively.

6. In a draft rigging for cars, the combination'with a transversely disposed gang of spring plates connected to the end of the car; of supports at laterally spaced points on the car engaging said gang of spring plates and opposing outward movement thereof; a coupler element connected to said gang of plates between said spaced points, whereby said plates are flexed outwardly upon a pulling action being applied to the coupler to cushion draft shocks; and inwardly sliding buiiing heads engaging with the opposite ends of said gang of spring plates to bend said ends inwardly upon inward movement of said head to cushion buing shocks.

7. In a draft rigging for cars, the combination with a transversely disposed gang of spring plates connected to the end of the car; of supports at laterally spaced points on the car engaging said gang of spring plates and opposing outward movement thereof; a coupler element connected to said gang of plates between said spaced points, whereby said plates are flexed Voutwardly upon a pulling action being appliedv to the coupler to cushion .draft shocks; laterally spaced abutment means on said car engaging` the inner side of said gang of plates at laterally spaced points; and'inwardly movable buliing heads engaging opposite end por- Y tions of Vvsaid gang of plates at points laterally offset with respect to said spaced abutment means, whereby said plates are exed upon inward displacement of the buing heads to cushion buing shocks. y

8. In a draft-rigging for cars, the combination with a transversely disposed gang of spring plates connected to the end of the car; of supports at laterallyspaced points on the car engaging said gang of spring plates and opposing outward movement thereof; a coupler element connected to said gang of plates between said spaced points7 whereby said plates are flexed outwardly Y upon a pulling action being applied to the y coupler to cushion `draft shocks; laterally spaced abutment means on said car engaging the inner side of said gang of plates at'lat-v erally spaced points; and inwardly movable bufng heads engaging opposite end portions of said gangV of flexible plates at points laterally outwardly with respect'toy said abutment means, whereby said ends o f the gang of plates are flexed inwardlyupon inward displacement of said buffing heads tocushl ionbufng shocks.

9. In a draftv rigging for cars; the com-Y binationwth a transversely disposed gang of spring plates connected to the end of the oar; ofV supports at laterally spaced points on the, car engaging said gang offspring plates and opposing outward movement thereof; a coupler element connected to said gang of plates between said spaced points; whereby said plates are flexed outwardly upon a-pulling action being aplied to the coupler to cushion draft shocks; spaced abutment means on the end of the car offset respectively laterally outwardly of said sup- I portsV and-engaging the inner side of said gang of plates; and inwardly movable bufing heads at opposite sides of the same end of the car bearing on the ends of said ygang of plates at points laterally outwardly of said spaced abutment means respectively.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 25th Aday of January,` 1932.

' CHARLES E. Diyrn. 

